From time to time we all tend to wonder what sort of "story" our life might comprise: what it means, where it is going, and whether it hangs together as a whole. In The Stories We Are, William Lowell Randall explores the links between literature and life and speculates on the range of storytelling styles through which people compose their lives. In doing so, he draws on a variety of fields, including psychology, psychotherapy, theology, philosophy, feminist theory, and literary theory. Using categories like plot, character, point of view, and style, Randall plays with the possibility that we each make sense of the events of our lives to the extent that we weave them into our own unfolding novel, as simultaneously its author, narrator, main character, and reader. In the process, he offers us a unique perspective on features of our day-to-day world such as secrecy, self-deception, gossip, prejudice, intimacy, maturity, and the proverbial "art of living." First published in 1995, this second edition of The Stories We Are includes a new preface and afterword by the author that offer insight into his argument and evolution as a scholar, as well as an illuminating foreword by Ruthellen Josselson.

Elderly women, who comprise a growing portion of the U.S. population, have historically been at greater risk of living in poverty than elderly men. Several factors contribute to the higher rate of poverty among elderly women including their tendency to have lower lifetime earnings, their taking time out of the workforce to care for family members, and outliving their spouses. Other factors affecting older women's financial insecurity include the economic downturn and changing trends in pension plan offerings. This book examines how women's access to and participation in employer-sponsored retirement plans compare to men's and how they have changed over time; how women's retirement income compares to men's and how the composition of their income the proportion of income coming from different sources - has changed with the economic conditions and trends in pension design; and what policy options are available to help increase women's retirement income security.

"This book is unique because of the focus on longitudinal studies and international perspectives . . . There is no other book like it . . . This book will be useful both as an advanced undergraduate or graduate course text and as a resource for scholars." - Rosemary Blieszner, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University "A very strong volume . . . [T]his book will clearly be a 'must-have' for scholars interested in midlife." - Michael Marsiske, University of Florida "Midlife is no longer an 'uncharted territory' in human development. A group of outstanding researchers from different countries focuses on this peak period in the life span . . . Various views, including historical, cultural, and socio-structural perspectives, are adopted . . . [C]omprehensive reviews of studies on almost all relevant domains of human development . . . are given and provide a colorful picture of what midlife in these days may be all about." - Sigrun-Heide Filipp, University of Trier, Germany Middle adulthood is a critical period of the life course. How we develop in middle age-the central period of our lives-can influence how well we cope in our later years. Middle Adulthood: A Lifespan Perspective explores these issues by bringing together a distinguished group of international contributors associated with a range of prestigious longitudinal studies. Key Features: Presents a much-needed longitudinal, lifespan perspective on middle age Provides a multicultural perspective to determine universal normative patterns of midlife development Addresses a broad scope of topics, including historical perspectives on the emergence of middle age as a normative developmental period in the life course, change and stability in personality, and cognitive development and decline Middle Adulthood is designed for scholars, researchers, and practitioners in the field of adult development and aging. It is an excellent text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying midlife development in the departments of Developmental Psychology, Human Development and Family Studies, Gerontology, Family Diversity, and Health.

In Reinventing the Culture of Womanhood in America and Brazil, an Anthropological Perspective, Alex Westfried examines the heroic struggle of Brazilian women to restore justice, bring a democratic society, and gain virtually total independence, economically, socially, sexually, and spiritually, to their society. The culture of Brazil and recent developments provide Brazilian middle class women with advantages that American women have still not obtained. Using case studies of Brazilian women, Westfried gives, in full detail, the process of liberation, and the Epilogue develops conceptual icons that compare American and Brazilian culture. This work is integrated with historical events, changes in the family in a postmodern society, changes in women's sexuality, and changes in women's identity. This study is significant as it gives us models for the 21st century and for American women to complete their struggle for equality.

This work covers a study of young adult Catholics aged 20 to 39. It compares Latino and non-Latino Catholics on a wide array of beliefs, attitudes, and practices.

"Our Turn, Our Time" is an amazing collection of essays written by women who are committed to celebrating and valuing the passage into the second half of life. These women are redefining the role older women play in contemporary society by embracing creativity, spirituality, and sisterhood. These essays are filled with insight, humor, and compassion on a broad variety of topics: the richness of women's groups, the rewards of volunteering, the power of crone ceremonies, the fires of creative expression, the challenges of a changing body, and the confidence that comes from success in later life.

Individually, the essays are inspirational and motivating. As a collection, the book becomes a unique support system for women as they age together, providing the opportunity to embrace each passing year with grace and enthusiasm. You will not find celebrities in this book. "Our Turn, Our Time" is written by everyday women for everyday women, creating equality and unity. The women in this book are positive role models and they will encourage other women to have an enriching, uplifting, and a refreshingly new perspective on the second half of life

The Sandwich Generation refers to the growing numbers of middle-aged people who must care for both children and elderly parents while trying to manage the stress of full-time jobs. Advances in technology and medicine are helping us to live longer - but not without extended care from our families. At the same time, the economic climate is making it difficult for young adults to leave home and start their own lives; they are often 'boomeranged' back to their parents for financial help, emotional support, and accommodation.

In The Family Squeeze, Suzanne Kingsmill and Ben Schlesinger trace the day-to-day life of a typical family caught up in this situation. They guide the reader through various scenarios, paying particular attention to the 'woman in the middle, ' who has traditionally been the caregiver to young and old but is now also a full-time member of the workforce. Each scenario is followed by comments, advice, and suggestions that will help the reader understand each stage of the game. The resource section includes an extensive annotated bibliography, as well as a list of selected services in Canada and the United States. Internet resources are also listed.

Any person who is, or about to become, a member of the Sandwich Generation will find this a helpful guide for coping with the conflicting demands of family and work.

Margaret Lock explicitly compares Japanese and North American medical and political accounts of female middle age to challenge Western assumptions about menopause. She uses ethnography, interviews, statistics, historical and popular culture materials, and medical publications to produce a richly detailed account of Japanese women's lives. The result offers irrefutable evidence that the experience and meanings--even the endocrinological changes--associated with female midlife are far from universal. Rather, Lock argues, they are the product of an ongoing dialectic between culture and local biologies.
Japanese focus on middle-aged women as family members, and particularly as caretakers of elderly relatives. They attach relatively little importance to the end of menstruation, seeing it as a natural part of the aging process and not a diseaselike state heralding physical decline and emotional instability. Even the symptoms of midlife are different: Japanese women report few hot flashes, for example, but complain frequently of stiff shoulders.
Articulate, passionate, and carefully documented, Lock's study systematically undoes the many preconceptions about aging women in two distinct cultural settings. Because it is rooted in the everyday lives of Japanese women, it also provides an excellent entree to Japanese society as a whole.
Aging and menopause are subjects that have been closeted behind our myths, fears, and misconceptions. Margaret Lock's cross-cultural perspective gives us a critical new lens through which to examine our assumptions.

Do you have a best friend? If so, you probably share the same race and social status. Why is this so? Does social structure determine your choice of friends? Or do other factors cause you to choose friends? Co-authors Blieszner and Adams explore these issues and offer a theoretical framework which incorporates both sociological and psychological perspectives on friendship. They use this model to synthesize the research theoretically, identify gaps in the literature, scrutinize the methods used, and produce a map for future research. Adult Friendship also covers historical conceptions of friendship, the internal structure of friendship, and the phases of friendship. Clearly written yet scholarly, Adult Friendship is perfect for students, researchers and professionals in psychology, sociology, communication, gerontology, family studies and social work. "The analysis is ably argued, identifying the contributions to and gaps in the field and challenging others to give attention to the theoretical and methodological issues in the emerging research on adult friendship." --Contemporary Sociology "Adult Friendship is a noteworthy publication in the emerging area of the study of personal relationships. . . . A useful synthesis of theory and research on close relationships over the life cycle. . . . suitable for students and others wanting an introduction to the topic, yet also gives professionals more knowledgeable with this literature a fresh, distinctive perspective on it. . . .Blieszner and Adams' chapters are concise and internally well organized. . . . a worthwhile read for researchers, students, practitioners, and laypersons concerned with the study of friendship across the life span." --Journal of Marriage & The Family "This volume is an important addition to the useful Sage Series on Close Relationships. It treats a topic that has been too frequently ignored in the area of close relationship research. . . . The coverage of the literature in this volume is especially good due to the tight organizational scheme that facilitates summaries of many different findings. . . . In sum, there is no doubt that both researchers and students will find this volume to be extremely useful. This is a well-organized and comprehensive book that provides a concise summary of research on adult friendship, both from sociological and psychological perspectives. Significant gaps in the literature are identified and methodological criticisms are raised. Finally, the authors provide clear guideposts for future research on a topic that has often received too little attention in the area of close relationships." --ISSPR Bulletin

In Incorporating Texts into Institutional Ethnographies, Dorothy E. Smith and Susan Marie Turner present a selection of essays highlighting perhaps the single most distinctive feature of the sociological approach known as Institutional Ethnography (IE) - the ethnographic investigation of how texts coordinate and organize people's activities across space and time. The chapters, written by scholars who are relatively new to IE as well as IE veterans, illustrate the wide variety of ways in which IE investigations can be done, as well as the breadth of topics IE has been used to study.

Both a collection of examples that can be used in teaching and research project design and an excellent introduction to IE methods and techniques, Incorporating Texts into Institutional Ethnographies is an essential contribution to the subject.

Aging has emerged as a major and urgent issue for individuals, organisations and governments of our time.

In this well-timed and comprehensive handbook, key international contributors to the field of study come together to create a definitive map of the subject. Framed by an authoritative introductory chapter, the SAGE Handbook of Aging, Work and Society offers a critical overview of the most significant themes and topics, with discussions of current research, theoretical controversies and emerging issues, divided into sections covering: Key Issues and Challenges The Aging Workforce Managing an Aging Workforce Living in an Aging Society Developing Public Policy

The manual is written in an accessible format with ample exercises and handouts, all designed for easy photocopying. Its great advantage is the material's transferability across all disciplines making it applicable to all professionals working with vulnerable adults. Each chapter offers an introductory discussion of a particular topic or question, such as how to identify different types of adult abuse and how to discuss and respond to a disclosure, highlighting the difficulties that may be associated with such a sensitive discussion. Her Classification of what constitutes different types of abuse in relation to differing ages, genders, ethnicities and cultures is sophisticated yet accessible, offering depth while avoiding stereotyping. In my view, this is an ideal resource for training of support workers, nurses, social workers, care managers, training officers, police officers and students of these subjects. If such training can be interagency and interprofessional, then this is likely to provide even greater benefits. - The Author, Journal compilation `...comprehensively engages with all aspects of adult protection work, from suspecting or making an allegation that abuse is happening, through to the investigation and case conference stages. It achieves comprehensiveness by including consideration of risk assessment, but manages to do this by providing materials for both basic awareness training through to more advanced and in-depth training. The resource covers specific sections of society, such as older people, younger people, black and minority ethnic people, and specialised chapters including additional training materials and case studies. The material achieves clarity in the theoretical framework and helps the participant to work through what the theory means for practice. Exercises, handouts, key learning points, case examples and suggested reading are all part of this approach.' - Leveson Centre Newsletter Working with Adult Abuse is a comprehensive training resource, which can be used by anyone who works with vulnerable adults across the sectors (statutory, voluntary and independent). It can be used by people who have a responsibility for training within any organisation, but also by any individual worker or student. The resource covers all aspects of adult protection work, from suspecting or making an allegation that abuse is happening in the community or in a communal setting through to the investigation and case conference stages, including consideration of risk assessment and the development of protection plans. In doing so, it provides materials for basic awareness training courses through to more advanced and in-depth training. Practical advice is presented within the historical context of adult abuse guidance and policy development. This is complemented by specialised chapters on the abuse of specific sections of society, such as older people, younger adults and black and minority ethnic people, which provide additional training materials and case studies. Each chapter offers an introductory discussion of a particular topic or question, such as exactly what constitutes adult abuse, how to respond to a disclosure of abuse, when to report abuse and to whom. Exercises, handouts, key learning points, case examples and suggested reading are also included. The resource, which is presented in a large A4 format, includes a wealth of photocopiable materials. This is an ideal resource for the training of social workers, care managers and workers, training officers, police officers, students of social work and those undergoing NVQ or post-qualification training.. It will also be helpful to unqualified staff such as home carers, residential staff and support workers.